Railways: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains stop daily at  (a) Preston,  (b) Chorley,  (c) Adlington,  (d) Blackrod and  (e) Horwich Parkway stations.

Tom Harris: This public timetable information is available in various hardcopy versions (such as the "UK Rail Timetable" published by The Stationary Office), or can be electronically downloaded from the Network Rail website (http://www.networkrail.co.uk/) as "Electronic National Rail Timetable" (eNRT), current train service information is also available through the National Rail website
	(http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/).

Child Support Agency: Bolton

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when a Minister in his Department last visited the Child Support Agency offices in Bolton.

James Plaskitt: There have been no visits by Ministers within the Department to Child Support Agency offices in Bolton. However, both myself and my noble Friend Lord McKenzie of Luton made several visits to Child Support Agency offices in the last year.

Members: Allowances

David Amess: To ask the Leader of the House what allowance is payable to hon. Members successful in the ballot for private Members' bills to assist with drafting costs; when the allowance was last increased; what the value of the allowance is expressed in prices at the date it was last increased; whether she plans to increase it; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: Provision was made by resolution of the House of 29 November 1971 for a payment of not more than £200 towards drafting assistance for those Members coming in the first ten places in the ballot for Private Members' Bills. The provision has not been increased since that date and would now be worth a little over £2,000 expressed in current prices.
	There have been very few claims against the allowance for many years. Alternative sources of assistance to Members have increased greatly since 1971 and, as the Government's response to the Procedure Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2002-03 (HC 333) made clear, the Government have undertaken that the resources of Parliamentary Counsel will be applied to bills which are likely to pass "for the purpose of ensuring that its terms give effect to its supporters' intentions" (Second Special Report from the Procedure Committee of Session 2003-04 HC 610, para. 20). The Government accordingly have no plans to propose an increase in the sum.

Housing: Low Incomes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the research commissioned by her Department on the Evaluation of Social Homebuy Scheme for Affordable Housing (reference RAE 3/6/135); and what the cost was of the research.

Caroline Flint: The report was published on 12 June 2008 in electronic format only at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/socialhomebuyevaluation
	The total cost of the research was £160,877.40. This comprised a contract for £157,734.25 with the University of Birmingham to conduct the research and £3,143.12 typesetting and publication preparation costs.

Peacekeeping Operations: Misconduct

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with UN officials on allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse of children by peacekeepers; what measures have been proposed to prevent such abuse; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK takes all allegations of misconduct by UN and other peacekeepers extremely seriously and we believe strongly that UN personnel must uphold the highest standards of behaviour. The vast majority of UN peacekeepers uphold those standards while doing important work in difficult and dangerous circumstances.
	The UN is responsible for tackling allegations of misconduct directly with troop contributing countries. We will continue to work closely with the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations and other partners to ensure that its 'zero tolerance' policy towards incidents of abuse is implemented in full.
	We are providing support to the UN's efforts to assess, prioritise and respond to the sexual exploitation and abuse of children by UN peacekeepers and aid workers. This includes taking concrete measures to address both the military and civilian branches of peacekeeping support operations. One such measure, the UN's Conduct and Discipline Units, is funded by the UK's Conflict Prevention Pool. These teams work to ensure that all peacekeeping personnel undergo training on UN standards of conduct relating to sexual exploitation and abuse, and that all allegations of wrongdoing are reported upon and followed up with appropriate action. In the UN Mission in Liberia, for example, the number of cases reported to the UN was reduced by half from 2006 to 2007.
	We have been successful in working with the UN to instigate policy changes aimed at preventing and tackling sexual exploitation and abuse. These include: a Victim's Assistance Strategy to provide assistance to survivors of sexual violence perpetrated by UN personnel; a more robust Model Memorandum of Understanding between the UN and Troop Contributing Countries; an upgraded Welfare and Recreation Strategy for peacekeeping and related personnel; and a resolution on 'Criminal accountability of UN officials and experts on mission'.
	The UK supports efforts to protect the world's most vulnerable children from sexual abuse. To further strengthen the UN's approach, the UK supported the UN Secretary-General's recent recommendation to include, where appropriate, child protection advisors within the mandates of peacekeeping missions. As an active member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, we will continue to work to improve the effectiveness of existing UN monitoring, reporting and disciplinary mechanisms.
	Through its Conflict Prevention programme, the UK also helps to train military personnel for peacekeeping operations. Good conduct and respect for human rights is an integral part of all training courses. The UK will continue to provide training on peace support operations for troops from other countries, which covers conduct and discipline, particularly the importance of protecting civilians in accordance with international law.

Departmental Inquiries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what independent inquiries have been commissioned by his Department in the last five years; what the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost was of each; and what steps were taken following each.

Bob Ainsworth: In the last five years, the Ministry of Defence has commissioned the following independent inquiries and reviews:
	 The Baha Mousa Inquiry
	We announced on 14 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 60-61WS, an independent inquiry into the death of Baha Mousa, who died in British custody in Iraq in September 2003. The terms of reference are being determined.
	 The Review of the loss of MOD laptops
	On 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1255, we announced an independent review of the loss of MOD data. The terms of reference are:
	To establish the exact circumstances and events that led to the loss by MOD of personal data; to examine the adequacy of the steps taken to prevent any recurrence, and of MOD policy, practice and management arrangements in respect of the protection of personal data more generally; to make recommendations; and to report to MOD's Permanent Secretary not later than 30 April 2008.
	The review is complete and a ministerial announcement will be made soon. The costs of this review were £44,961.
	 The Nimrod Review
	On 4 December 2007,  Official Report, column 685f, we announced an independent review into the loss of RAF Nimrod XV230 in Afghanistan on 2 September 2006. The terms of reference are:
	In light of the board of inquiry report: to examine the arrangements for assuring the airworthiness and safe operation of the Nimrod MR2 in the period from its introduction in 1979 to the accident on 2 September 2006, including hazard analysis, the safety case compiled in 2005, maintenance arrangements, and responses to any earlier incidents which might have highlighted the risk and led to corrective action;
	To assess where responsibility lies for any failures and what lessons are to be learned;
	To assess more broadly the process for compiling safety cases, taking account of best practice in the civilian and military world; and
	To make recommendations to the Secretary of State as soon as practicable, if necessary by way of interim report.
	This review is still under way.
	 The Iran  H ostage Reviews
	On 16 April 2007,  Official Report, columns 23-26, we announced two reviews of Iran's illegal detention of 15 service personnel.
	The first was on operational aspects of the incident including risk and threat assessment, strategic and operational planning, tactical decisions, rules of engagement, training, equipment and resources. The HCDC has been fully briefed on recommendations, and on progress in relation to the full implementation of the resulting action plan. The costs of this review were not collated centrally but were restricted to travel costs.
	The terms of reference of the second were:
	"To conduct a review of media access to individual personnel involved in operations, particularly in such high-profile incidents. The review is to draw on all relevant experience, including recent incidents and other high-profile incidents; consider how best to manage the complex issues at play, including in balancing our responsibilities to support our people and their families, to safeguard the security of our people and operations, to protect the reputation of the services, and to meet the requirements of transparency in a demanding media environment; and identify lessons and make recommendations for any necessary changes in policy, regulations, processes and practice, including in relation to media payments to our personnel."
	Where costs have been provided they do not include the staff costs of MOD personnel seconded to the review team.
	The Government's response, accepting all the review's recommendations, was announced on 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1255. The costs of this review were £7,200.
	 The Deepcut Review
	On 30 November 2004,  Official Report, column 500, we announced an independent review into the deaths of four soldiers at Deepcut barracks between 1995 and 2002. The terms of reference were:
	Urgently to review the circumstances surrounding the deaths of four soldiers at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut between 1995 and 2002 in light of available material and any representations that might be made in this regard, and to produce a report.
	The total cost of the review was £866,980. The Government's response was announced on 13 June 2006,  Official Report, column 637W. Since then, Dr. Susan Atkins has been appointed as the first Service Complaints Commissioner, and a new service complaints process came into effect on 1 January 2008.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department makes arrangements to provide protection for Iraqi people working for the British Army and for their families.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr. Anderson) on 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 102W.

Veterans Day

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on making Veterans' Day a national bank holiday; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: To date I have received no formal representations on making Veterans Day a national bank holiday.
	We are in the process of considering the report of the Quentin Davies' inquiry into national recognition of our armed forces which recommends the creation of a British Armed Forces and Veterans Day and suggests that this would be the right solution were the Government minded to propose to Parliament the creation of another public holiday. Lead responsibility for the latter aspect lies with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR).

Crimes of Violence: Convictions

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were for  (a) murder,  (b) rape and  (c) violence against the person in Crown courts in England and Wales since 1997 broken down by (i) year and (ii) age of defendant.

Maria Eagle: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences relating to  (a) murder,  (b) rape and  (c) violence against the person in Crown courts in England and Wales since 1997 broken down by (i) year and (ii) age of defendant can be viewed in the following table.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants found guilty at Crown courts, for offences relating to murder, rape, and violence against the person, by age groups, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Murder  Rape  Violence against the person 
			   10-17  18 and over  10-17  18 and over  10-17  18 and over 
			 1997 26 249 47 467 619 12,034 
			 1998 10 246 23 547 623 11,165 
			 1999 24 228 40 517 591 10,610 
			 2000(4) 20 241 34 481 661 10,930 
			 2001 27 258 33 458 608 11,468 
			 2002 20 304 23 525 696 12,432 
			 2003 9 268 26 556 569 12,826 
			 2004 13 348 27 614 607 13,001 
			 2005 26 368 66 619 565 13,245 
			 2006 19 353 63 683 526 13,418 
			 (1) Data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Data includes the following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions, or offences comprising :  Common Law. Offences against the Person Act 1861 Sec 1, 9, 10.  Murder of persons aged one year or over.  Murder of infants under one year of age.  Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.I  Rape of a female aged under 16.  Rape of a female aged 16 or over.  Rape of a male aged under 16.  Rape of a male aged 16 or over  Sexual Offences Act 2003 S. 5  Rape of a female child under 13 by a male  Rape of a male child under 13 by a male  Violence against the person includes:  Murder  Attempted Murder  Manslaughter, etc  Aggravated vehicle taking  Wounding or other act endangering life  Endangering railway passenger  Endangering life at sea  Other wounding etc.  Cruelty or neglect of children  Abandoning children under two years  Child abduction  Procuring illegal abortion  Concealment of birth (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4 )Staffordshire police force were only able to supply a nine per cent. sample of data for magistrates courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data and to contribute to national totals, these data are not robust at a detailed level and are not included in this analysis.  Source:  Court proceedings data held by CJEA—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice.

Prisoners Release

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders not yet returned to prison after recall of their end of custody licence had been recalled for  (a) alleged re-offending,  (b) failure to live at an approved address,  (c) failure to maintain contact with the Probation Service and  (d) poor behaviour.

Jack Straw: 894 offenders placed on End of Custody Licence have been recalled to custody for breaching the conditions of the scheme as at 16 May 2008. This represents 3.4 per cent. of those released on to the scheme. Data on ECL release and recall which has been published monthly since the scheme began, can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustody licence.htm
	Of those recalled and who remained unlawfully at large as of 19 June, 24 were recalled for alleged re-offending (six of whom had also failed to live at their approved address); 31 were recalled for failure to live at an approved address (four of which had also failed to maintain contact with the Probation Service); 46 were recalled for failure to maintain contact with the Probation Service (three of which also had poor behaviour); and eight were recalled for poor behaviour.

Schools: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will visit schools in the London Borough of Bexley to discuss funding.

Jim Knight: DCSF Ministers receive many invitations to visit schools across the country to discuss their individual circumstances and issues. It is not possible to accept all of these, but Ministers do look carefully at the issues in question and other diary commitments when considering each invitation. I therefore invite the hon. Member to contact my office with details of the proposed visit and the issues he would like to discuss, in order that I can properly consider his suggestion.

Secondary Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many secondary schools  (a) have been placed in special measures,  (b) have been issued notices to improve and  (c) have had at least 30 per cent. of students achieving five good GCSEs including English and mathematics in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In 2007, Ofsted placed 29 secondary schools in special measures. A further 64 were judged to require significant improvement and were given a notice to improve. The following table shows the number of schools placed in an Ofsted category and the number of schools within a category that had at least 30 per cent. of pupils achieving five good GCSEs or equivalent including GCSEs English and maths:
	
		
			  Schools placed in Ofsted inadequate categories from 1 January to 31 December 2007 
			  Ofsted category  Number of secondary schools placed in an Ofsted category during 2007( 1)  Number of these schools in which 30 per cent. or more of 15-year-old pupils achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent 
			 Special measures 29 10 
			 Significant improvement (Notice to Improve) 64 30 
			 (1) The figures in the table do not include the 12 middle deemed secondary schools that were placed into these categories as they have no pupils at Key Stage 4. Two schools that closed in August 2007 are also not included as their results were not published. 
		
	
	Although some schools placed in an Ofsted category achieve above 30 per cent., a number of these schools may be "coasting", where reasonable numbers of pupils achieve five or more good GCSEs including English and maths, but progress from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4 is unimpressive, or be in danger of falling below the floor target.
	These are factors that Ofsted will take into account when assessing school performance. Ofsted are currently consulting on new inspection arrangements which include a proposal that schools that are coasting, have inconsistent performance or are slipping will be identified quickly and inspected more frequently.
	In 2007, 2,407 maintained secondary schools had 30 per cent. or more of 15-year-old pupils achieving at least five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and maths.

Special Educational Needs: Dyslexia

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  if he will estimate the number of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools without any teachers with a specialist dyslexia qualification; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many teachers in maintained schools have a specialist dyslexia qualification; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information is not collected centrally. However, on 6 May the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families announced we have asked Sir Jim Rose to make recommendations on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia. We expect to. consider his recommendations early next year.
	Some information about teachers' qualifications will be gathered by the school workforce census which will start in 2010. The information collected will be limited to ensure we do not place an undue burden on schools. So, although it will not collect information about all training, we expect to be able to provide more data than we currently hold on teacher's qualifications.
	The census will be seeking data on relevant qualifications for all teachers. A relevant qualification is any post A-level qualification that the school considers qualifies the teacher or teaching assistant to teach the subjects for which they are timetabled. We expect to see included, as a minimum, teachers' ITT qualifications. For teachers with a PGCE, we are also requesting data on prior degrees. Qualification subject will be coded using the Joint Academic Council principal subjects code set which includes "Training Teachers—Special Needs".

Teachers: Recruitment

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the areas of the country facing difficulties in recruiting teachers; and what the reasons are for such difficulties.

Jim Knight: Information collected by the Department relates to full-time vacancy rates. These figures are published in table 7 of the Statistical First Release on School Workforce in England (including pupil: teacher ratios and pupil: adult ratios), January 2008 (provisional), accessible through:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000787/index. shtml
	and in table 20 of the Statistical First Release on School Workforce in England (including pupil: teacher ratios and pupil: adult ratios), January 2007 (Revised), accessible through:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rs3atewav/DB/SFR/s000743/index. shtml
	Overall vacancy rates have decreased since 2002. There is no national shortage of teachers and the overall gap between the demand and supply of teachers continues to close. There are 441,200 full-time equivalent teachers in maintained schools—1,900 more than last year; 176,900 full-time equivalent teaching assistants—13,100 more than last year and 149,500 full-time equivalent administrative staff, technicians and other support staff—up 5,000 oft last year. The pupil-teacher ratio has fallen in primaries from 21.8 pupils for every teacher to 21.6 and in secondary schools from 16.5 to 16.1.

Teachers: Resignations

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research he has commissioned on reasons for teachers leaving the profession within a few years of qualification; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has commissioned a six-year longitudinal study of teachers' experiences of initial teacher training and early professional development. The project, "Becoming a Teacher", started in 2003 with a sample of trainees in their final year of initial teacher training and is ongoing as it follows them through their early career. 91 per cent. of survey respondents who were currently teaching or planning to be in teaching in the following term indicated that they expected to still be in teaching in four years' time. At the time of the survey there were 106 participants who had worked as a teacher since completing their training but were not now working as a teacher and were not looking for a teaching post. Reasons cited included being unable to find a job, behaviour of pupils/pupil discipline, deciding to move into another career, family reasons/commitments and workload. However, over half the respondents anticipated returning to teaching in the future.
	This area has been researched extensively, and the Department has also commissioned a series of reports by Smithers and Robinson, published in 2003, 2004, 2005 to investigate teacher turnover, wastage and destinations.
	It should be noted that many teachers return to service after a break. In 2005-06, the latest year for which figures are available, around 10,000 qualified teachers returned to service in the maintained sector (all school types) after a break of at least one year.

Teaching Methods

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of classes in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools were set by ability at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: As stated in the responses to your parliamentary questions 202069 and 202073 (April 2008), data on how many lessons in England are set by ability are not currently collected. The latest period for which Ofsted data indicate the proportion of lessons in each school year which are set by ability is 2002-03.
	The figures for the percentage of secondary lessons set, as observed by Ofsted, in 2002-03 were included in our reply to parliamentary question 202073. The figures for primary lessons are outlined in the following table.
	
		
			  Lessons in primary schools observed by Ofsted during inspections in 2002-03—percentage set by ability 
			   Percentage 
			   Class formed on the basis of prior attainment in the subject (setted) 
			 Year l 2 
			 Year 2 4 
			 Key stage 1 3 
			 Year 3 7 
			 Year 4 7 
			 Year5 9 
			 Year6 12 
			 Key stage 2 9 
		
	
	The figures in the table have been provided by Ofsted, which is responsible for the inspection and regulation of care for children and young people, and the inspection of education and training for learners of all ages.

Common Agricultural Policy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials have had with their French counterparts on the French EU Presidency's programme for the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and I, as well as officials at our Embassy in Paris, and at the UK Representation in Brussels and across our European network, are in regular contact with our French interlocutors on a full range of issues.
	We support the French presidency's work to conclude the Common Agricultural Policy Health Check by the end of the year. We will be seeking an ambitious outcome which cuts market distortion, reduces the burden on farmers and brings greater environmental benefits.

EC Common Foreign and Security Policy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials have had with their French counterparts on the French EU Presidency's programme for European security and defence policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Ministers and officials have regular contact with their French counterparts to discuss a range of EU issues, including French plans for their presidency of the EU.

Iran: Baha'i Sect

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will condemn publicly the recent arrests of members of the Baha'i community in Iran; and whether his Department has attempted to establish the whereabouts of those detained.

Meg Munn: The Government remain deeply concerned that the seven leading members of Iran's Baha'i community are still detained following their arrest over a month ago. The individuals were held incommunicado for a number of weeks but we have recently received confirmation, from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the UK, that most of the group are now known to be in Evin Prison in Tehran. We understand that further arrests of Baha'is have since taken place in Esfahan and Ghaemshahr.
	The Government are committed to raising human rights concerns with the Iranian authorities and regularly raises concerns about the ongoing persecution of Iranian Baha'is, both bilaterally and through the EU. On 21 May the EU, with strong UK support, issued a public statement of concern calling for the release of these individuals and an end to the persecution of the Baha'i community. We have also publicly and consistently expressed our concerns about the situation of the Baha'is in Parliament.

Iraq: Christianity

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Iraq on the situation of Iraqi Christians resident in Iraq.

David Miliband: Our diplomatic missions in Iraq and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Human Rights in Iraq regularly raise the need for adequate protection of minority groups with the Government of Iraq. The key to improving the position of vulnerable or minority groups is political reconciliation and further reduction in the violence which is affecting all sectors of Iraqi society. Although we do not support the use of the death penalty, we are encouraged by the recent conviction of the killer of Archbishop Rahho of Mosul as an example of Iraqi commitment to tackling those responsible for violence against minority groups.

Lebanon: Foreign Relations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on official contact with the government of Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The UK has contact with the current Government of Lebanon, both at official and ministerial level. During a visit to Lebanon from 8-9 June, I met President Suleiman, Prime Minister Siniora and Speaker Berri.
	The Doha Accord of 21 May 2008 called for the formation of a new National Unity government. We hope that this government can be appointed swiftly.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Government policy is on further UN Security Council action against the government of Sudan in relation to any further refusal to comply with the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for  (a) Mr. Ahmad Harun and  (b) Mr. Ali Kushay; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The UK sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1593 of March 2005 which referred the human rights situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC). We have continued to press the Government of Sudan, at all levels, to comply with the ICC requirements, including during the UN Security Council's visit to Sudan this month. My noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown and I raised the need for Sudan to comply with the ICC in our meetings with Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor on 28 April. We have also raised Sudanese compliance with the ICC with partners, including in the UN Security Council, who have influence over the Government of Sudan.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the euro changeover plan of  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies was last updated; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of each plan.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office produced its Euro Changeover Plan in December 2002; related arrangements for its agencies were included in the Home Office Plans.
	A copy of the plan has been placed in the Library.

Essex Police: Bureaucracy

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average amount of time each week that police officers in Essex Police spent  (a) on patrol and  (b) dealing with paperwork in the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 17 June 2008
	 The latest available data are for 2006-07 and are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Essex police—time spent on patrol and paperwork 
			  2006-07  Percentage 
			 Time Spent on Patrol 11.80 
			 Time Spent on all Paperwork 24.70 
			 Time Spent on Incident Related Paperwork(1) 11.60 
			 (1) Also included in time spent of paperwork. 
		
	
	Time on patrol on its own does not provide an accurate picture of frontline police activity. In 2006-07 Essex police officers spent 64.8 per cent. of their time on frontline duties. The measurement of time on patrol only refers to the time when an officer is patrolling but engaged in no other duty. Any activity that an officer responds to while on patrol (such as street crime or a burglary) is recorded separately against the other activity and not shown as patrol. In the last three years the Essex police has returned 1,000 police officers to frontline duties from back office functions.
	We are committed to reducing the time spent on paperwork by police officers, as is Essex police. The force has made a pledge to attend the scene of every crime and take a full witness statement from all victims, dependent on their individual needs which may contribute to the extra time spent on paperwork.
	I am told by Essex police that comparing 2007-08 with the previous year shows 8,000 fewer victims of crime in the county, 1,000 more crimes detected, 13,500 fewer incidents of antisocial behaviour, and an additional 3,500 persons arrested. This is welcome and shows that the force is making Essex a safer place in which to live.
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has already accepted Sir Ronnie Flanagan's recommendation to remove lengthy Stop and Account forms, and will also consider more proportionate and streamlined stop and search and crime recording forms. We are continuing with consultation on reforms of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, streamlining the Criminal Justice process, and investing £50 million in new mobile data technology.

Missing Persons: Cheshire

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Cheshire Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Cheshire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Cumbria

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Cumbria Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area of origin; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12 years,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 years and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Cumbria constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Derbyshire

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Derbyshire Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged between 12 and 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Derbyshire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Devon

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area of origin; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12 years,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 years and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Devon and Cornwall constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Durham

Hilary Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Durham Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged between 12 and 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Durham constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Gloucestershire Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Gloucestershire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Greater London

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to the Metropolitan Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the Metropolitan police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Greater Manchester

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Greater Manchester Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Greater Manchester police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Hampshire

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Hampshire Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged between 12 and 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Hampshire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Kent

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Kent Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Kent constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Lincolnshire

Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Lincolnshire Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged between 12 and 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Lincolnshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Merseyside

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Merseyside Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area of origin; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12 years,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 years and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Merseyside police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Northamptonshire

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing persons were made to Northamptonshire Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Northamptonshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Northumbria

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Northumbria Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Northumbria police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Nottinghamshire

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Nottinghamshire Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Nottinghamshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Somerset

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Avon and Somerset Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Avon and Somerset constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: South Yorkshire

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to South Yorkshire Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for South Yorkshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Staffordshire

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Staffordshire Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Staffordshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Sussex

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Sussex Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Sussex police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Thames Valley

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Thames Valley Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12 years,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 years and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years old related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Thames Valley police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to West Midlands Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for West Midlands police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: West Yorkshire

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to West Yorkshire Police in 2007, broken down by local authority area, and how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 June 2008
	 This is a matter for West Yorkshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Wiltshire

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Wiltshire Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Wiltshire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	The Missing Persons Bureau has as one of its priorities the development of a national picture of the phenomenon of missing persons. It is working towards this in conjunction with its partners and stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group.

National Security

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has liaised with her counterparts in the  (a) Welsh Assembly Government,  (b) Northern Ireland Executive and  (c) Scottish Executive in respect of the application of anti-terrorism measures to the devolved administrations as set out in The Prevent Strategy: A Guide for Local Partners in England.

Tony McNulty: The Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism in the Home Office works with colleagues in the devolved Administrations to ensure that the Government's counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, is delivered effectively across the UK.
	The Prevent Guide published on 3 June 2008 is aimed at local partners in England only because of the different local delivery arrangements in the devolved Administrations. However, much of the cross-cutting information it contains will help local partners and partnerships in the devolved administrations to develop and implement effective actions to stop people becoming or supporting terrorists or violent extremists.

Office for Civil Nuclear Security: Vetting

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had with the Office for Civil Nuclear Security on the implications for its vetting procedures of the addition of several categories of nuclear specialists to the national shortage list.

Liam Byrne: No discussions have been held with the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS). Employers are responsible for ensuring that appropriate vetting is undertaken with the OCNS.
	Changes to the National Shortage List are based on labour market considerations only, where research, endorsed by industry stakeholders, highlights UK-wide skills shortages.

Police: ICT

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future  (a) governance and  (b) funding of NSPIS Case and Custody; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Now that the implementation of the NSPIS Custody and Case Preparation systems has been achieved, the programme is nearing completion and plans are in place for its formal closure. At that point, the responsibility for the governance of the delivered systems will pass to the National User Group which is chaired by an ACPO officer and which is made up of representatives from forces and from the NPIA.
	The cost of the NSPIS CuCP programme will be met by the NPIA in 2008-09. Thereafter, the costs of supporting and maintaining these systems will be shared with police forces. The NPIA is working with the National User Group to agree a programme of work to reduce these costs.

Antidepressants

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been carried out by his Department to establish the long-term effects of Prozac and related drugs on mental health.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not commissioned research into the long term effects of Prozac and other related drugs on mental health.

Cancer: Drugs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what unit cost the NHS pays for the drug Cetuximab; what price for Cetuximab it charges patients being seen privately in an NHS setting; and what estimate he has made of the full market price per unit.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 12 June 2008
	 As listed in the "British National Formulary", hospitals purchasing cetuximab pay the following prices:
	
		
			   £ 
			 100 milligram (mg)/50 millilitre (ml) vial 136.50 
			 100 mg/20 ml vial 136.50 
			 500 mg/100 ml vial 682.50 
		
	
	The Department does not hold information on charges made by the national health service to private patients.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was between referral and treatment for drug treatment programmes in each primary care trust in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Waiting times in the drug treatment system in England is not available over the last five years. Published data prior to April 2006 reported average waiting times, but since then published data has reported the numbers of clients in structured drug treatment (as a percentage of the total treatment population) who wait three weeks or less.
	During 2006-07, 89 per cent. of service users of the drug treatment system in England waited three weeks or less to access specialist drug treatment.(1)
	Waiting time targets for each drug action team area in England and their performance against these are available in each area's annual treatment plan which are available at www.nta.nhs.uk. This data is presented in the form of the percentage of drug treatment clients who accessed the treatment they required within three weeks of assessment.
	(1 ) Source:
	National Treatment Agency 2006-07 Annual Report.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients  (a) under 18 and  (b) 18 and over were referred to drug treatment centres in each of the last five years, broken down by strategic health authority area of residence.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on referrals is not collected centrally.
	However, published annual data on the numbers of clients in specialist drug treatment services in England by age (under 18 and 18 and over) for the four years between 2003-04 and 2006-07 are provided in the following tables. Data are not yet available for 2007-08.
	Changes in the boundaries of some strategic health authority areas (SHA) in recent years, does not allow direct comparisons of drug treatment data over time by SHA area. Published information on clients attending specialist drug treatment services in England is routinely presented either as a national figure or by local drug action team/partnerships areas, which are co-terminus with local authority areas.
	
		
			  Age of clients in treatment, between 2003-04 and 2006-07 
			  Age range  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Under 18s 6,536 8,851 11,917 13,680 
			 Over 18s 119,009 151,602 165,138 181,784 
			 Total 125,545 160,453 177,055 195,464 
			  Note:  The increase in young people appearing in the drug treatment numbers reflects an increase in treatment capacity and accuracy in reporting rather than an increase in the incidence on young people developing substance misuse dependency.

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1072W, on the Fair Trade initiative, how much his Department spent on refreshments for official departmental meetings and engagements in each of the last three financial years; and what percentage of this total was spent on Fair Trade products.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department spent the following on refreshments for official meetings and engagements during the last three years:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 674,087 
			 2006-07 833,129 
			 2007-08 695,682 
		
	
	The Department does not supply any Fairtrade products on refreshments for official meetings and engagements.

General Practitioners: Shropshire

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will hold discussions with Shropshire GPs on proposals to introduce polyclinics.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government do not have any policy proposals to develop polyclinics. The Government are investing £250 million to introduce 152 general practitioner (GP)-led health centres to improve access and responsiveness, and 100 new GP practices in under-served areas. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to set out their proposals for these new GP led health centres following consultation with patients, GPs and others, which focus on local needs and preferences. Local PCTs are ensuring strong public and clinical engagement when making decisions on the location and range of the services to be procured locally and Shropshire GPs should be engaging with their local PCT on these matters.

Hospitals: Transport

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he issues on the responsibility of primary care and NHS trusts to consult  (a) the public and  (b) voluntary organisations on possible changes in patient transport services arising from the reconfiguration of hospitals and other services.

Ann Keen: This is a matter for the local NHS.
	On 9 May 2008,the Department of Health published "Changing for the Better: guidance when undertaking major change in the NHS". This recommends that, alongside proposals for service change, the local national health service publishes a business case setting out the clinical and patient benefits and that such options should also include a detailed analysis of the impact on travelling times and distances, identifying the impact on pedestrians and public and private transport users as well as the ambulance service.
	Copies of this guidance have been placed in the Library are also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_084674

Magnetic Resonance Imagers

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many magnetic resonance imaging scanners were purchased from  (a) UK and  (b) non-UK companies by the NHS in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005, (iii) 2006 and (iv) 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect data on the purchase of Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanners centrally.
	There are four main suppliers of scanners in the United Kingdom market and are all subsidiaries of multi-national organisations:
	Siemens Medical Solutions;
	Toshiba Medical Systems;
	Philips Healthcare; and
	GE Healthcare.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether clinicians will have an obligation to maintain a record of their dealings with patients on  (a) any component of the national care records database or  (b) a record which will be copied to a component of the database.

Ben Bradshaw: There is an obligation on doctors from their professional bodies to keep clear, accurate, legible and contemporaneous patient records. We have not put any specific obligation on clinicians to maintain records on the patient's Summary Care Record (SCR) but have encouraged them to include those components relating to current medications, and any allergies or adverse reactions to medications. However, patients can request that all or some of that information is not uploaded to the SCR.
	It is possible that individual national health service organisations may require employed clinicians to use the system provided by the organisation for clinical record keeping, which could be part of the National Care Records System, since it may not be possible to provide some forms of care without information, for example digital images, which will be captured solely on the new systems.

Life Expectancy: Lincolnshire

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent estimate he has made of average life expectancy for  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) Cleethorpes, (ii) Great Grimsby, (iii) Brigg and Goole and (iv) Scunthorpe in (A) 1995, (B) 2005 and (C) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell dated 23 June 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what recent estimate has been made of average life expectancy for (a) men and (b) women in (i) Cleethorpes, (ii) Great Grimsby, (iii) Brigg and Goole and (iv) Scunthorpe in (A) 1995, (B) 2005 and (C) at the latest date for which figures are available. (211975)
	Period life expectancies at birth for (a) males and (b) females for all local authority districts and unitary authorities in England and Wales, for rolling three-year periods from 1991-93 to 2004-06, are published on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=8841
	Life expectancy figures at parliamentary constituency level are not readily available.

Foreign Relations: India

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made establishing an Indo-British economic and financial dialogue on bilateral and global issues since the joint declaration with India of 20 September 2004.

Yvette Cooper: The first meeting of the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue, led by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and Indian Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram, was held in New Delhi, India on 18 January 2007.
	In the meeting, Ministers and officials from both sides discussed issues on the current global economic situation, financial services, climate change, and using public-private partnership to enhance infrastructure investment.
	A further meeting of the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue was held at officials level on 27 September 2007 in London. In addition to the topics covered in the January ministerial meeting, development and financial inclusion issues were also discussed. The Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling held a bilateral meeting with Minister Chidambaram in parallel to the Economic and Financial Dialogue.
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer will host the next round of the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue in London in July 2008.

Energy

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to paragraph 4.34 of Budget 2008, how much of the £150 million expenditure pledged by the major energy suppliers will be contributed by each supplier.

Malcolm Wicks: The individual allocations have been calculated by reference to each companies' market share based on customer account numbers. Each supplier has agreed to pay a contribution per customer account. The contribution per customer account is then multiplied by the number of customer accounts "owned" by a supplier to arrive at each supplier's contribution.
	A breakdown of suppliers' individual contributions cannot be made available as it contains commercially sensitive information and therefore remains confidential between the Department and the energy supplier.

G8

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proposals the United Kingdom plans to put to the meeting of G8 energy ministers on 6th June.

Malcolm Wicks: On 8 June 2008, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State attended the G8 Energy Ministers' meetings at Aomori in Japan. This was the first ever meeting of G8 Energy Ministers with their counterparts from China, India and the Republic of Korea. Discussion covered a wide range of issues relating to world energy security and combating global climate change.
	I am placing a copy of the statements issued at the end of the meeting in the Libraries of the House.
	The main outcomes were:
	A call for enhanced dialogue and cooperation between oil producers and consumers.
	Recognition that open, transparent markets and fair, effective and efficient regulation are critical to reducing uncertainties and promoting investment.
	Affirmation by the participant countries of the need to maximise investment in their own domestic oil production, coupled with a call on other oil producers to increase investment to keep markets well supplied in response to rising world demand.
	Establishment of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Co-operation (IPEEC)—a groundbreaking co-operation between the G8, China, India and the Republic of Korea (membership is also open to other countries).
	An undertaking to accelerate efficient and lower carbon technology research, development and demonstration.G8 commitment to implementation of the International Energy Agency(IEA)'s 25 recommendations for promoting energy efficiency.
	G8 support for the launch of 20 large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects globally by 2010 with a view to supporting technology development and cost reduction for the beginning of the broad deployment of CCS by 2020.
	A number of these agreements result from the IEA's G8 Gleneagles work programme, which was developed and agreed during the UK's G8 presidency. The full conclusions of the agency's work will be reported to the G8 summit in Hokkaido next month.

Overseas Trade: China

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials in his Department work on the promotion of trade between the United Kingdom and China; and how many in his predecessor Department did so in  (a) 1983,  (b) 1987 and  (c) each year between 1998 and 2006.

Gareth Thomas: There are currently seven full-time equivalent positions working on trade promotion with China in UK Trade and Investment's China Markets Unit based in London.
	Figures for staff in the unit for previous years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2007 7 
			 2006 6 
			 2005 7 
		
	
	In addition there are, and have been historically, a significant number of officials within BERR, UKTI and the former DTI who deal with trade promotion with China as part of their broader responsibilities. This information is not held centrally though, and to establish proportionate full-time equivalent figures would entail disproportionate costs.
	70.75 full-time equivalent staff based in the British embassy and consulates general in China work on trade promotion with China. In addition, since 2007, 28 full-time equivalent staff of the China Britain Business Council, based in the UK and China, have delivered, on behalf of UKTI, the majority of trade services in respect of China.
	Historical data for previous years requires information from a number of sources, some of which are not held centrally. Such information may be obtained only at disproportionate cost.